Peter Michael Bodnar

Peter Bodnar passed at Tidewell Hospice in Venice Florida on August 6, 2025 with friends and family near him and holding firmly onto his beloved wife Jean's hand.

Peter was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 6, 1948 to his parents, Stephen and Helen (Haitmanek).

His younger brother James F. Bodnar tragically passed only a few days before Peter.

Peter served in the Army Reserves from 1970-76 as a helicopter crew chief and Rifle expert.

He was raised in Union NJ and spent many great summers in Barnegat Bay, a place happily populated with many Bodnars. His Aunts, Uncles and cousins filled these memorable summers with love and joy and (is this perhaps where he began his lifetime love for fishing?). After marrying Jeanie, they lived in Elizabeth and moved into their first home in Florham Park. In 2001 they moved to Florida, first living in Estero and then Venice.

Jeanie and Peter met in High School when she was 15 and he was 17. He had been set up on a date with another girl, but Jeanie was in the background waiting for a ride home – and they fell in love. Jeanie knew that Pete was a diamond in the rough and helped him get his first significant job by bribing the guy who ran the agency with a bottle of Chivas. Peter started in the paper business in 1971, first for Kimberly Clark and eventually becoming a manager director for the Finnish company, Tervo Koski from 1987 to 2001.

A devoted outdoorsman he loved to fish, hunt and camp. He loved teaching children to fish and didn't give up easily on anything, including teaching his nephew Chris to fish. When he took Chris fishing and the child refused to pee in the woods, Peter drove him many miles to find an actual bathroom – and then drove them both back to the lake to continue their lesson. On a childhood camping trip with Donna's parents Maryann and Don before the kids came along, Pete set a trap intended for a wild animal that instead caught their basset hound, Morgan, who woke them howling in the middle of the night – something they all laughed about for years.

Peter had a lifetime passion for fishing. His photo albums are full of dead fish and significant rocks and other items for show and tell and were shown to all his visitors, whether they were interested or not.

Peter persevered through a lot of pain, disability and cancer. His stubborn curmudgeonly nature kept him going through periods of health struggles that might have defeated a lesser man. And of course, throughout he had his High School sweetheart, Jeanie by his side.

Peter is survived by Jean, his wife, his sister-in-law Jane Bodnar, Adele Barlow and his nieces Heather Higgins (Todd), Erin McGinn, and nephews Chris Costabile (Cathy), Brian Costabile (Eula), Ryan (Besty) and Sean (Rachel) Higgins, and Brother-In-Law Richard Costabile.

In Lieu of flowers donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.